Portal 2: The cake is still a lie

Science is fun, but only when you have a neat gun. "Portal 2" brings back some of the charm created by its prequel from 2007. With the combination of the original game’s physics and new technologies, "Portal 2" requires the player to think even harder about solving each puzzle.

"Portal 2" starts the player off in a room, like the original, with a robotic voice instructing the player to perform basic tasks. After going to sleep, the player wakes up years in the future, and can see the ravages of time to the facility. A personality sphere named Wheatley appears and tries to help the player escape from Aperture Laboratories, which requires finding the portal gun from the original "Portal" game.

After a short amount of time, the player is reunited with GLaDOS, the evil, sociopathic artificial intelligence that was destroyed at the end of the original "Portal" game. GLaDOS, voiced by Ellen McLain, is bitter about the actions of Chell, the main character, from the previous game. GlaDOS insults Chell, and begins a new round of testing in a new environment. This is where the new technologies are introduced, and they add new challenges that require extra thought to solve.

Eventually, the player is rescued from the test chambers by Wheatley, voiced by Stephen Merchant, who leads Chell through hidden corridors behind the test chambers to defeat GLaDOS. In time, GLaDOS is removed from her "body," and Wheatley is put in her place, transforming him into a power-hungry maniac.

The second part of this game is spent navigating the original game’s testing areas, created by Cave Johnson, voiced by J.K. Simmons, the original CEO of Aperture Science. The player must work through the old environment, and needs to be even more creative with the solution to several puzzles. After a while, Chell and GLaDOS are once again reunited, and vow to remove Wheatley from power. Eventually, they are successful at restoring GLaDOS to her former power, but she allows Chell to leave Aperture Science, claiming a lack of need for Chell as a test subject.

The multiplayer allows two people to play as robotic test subjects. Players must work together to place portals to successfully activate platforms and doors. Even in death, all is not lost. With "Portal 2," when a robotic test subject is destroyed, another body is quickly put in its place, ensuring minimal interruptions to testing.

Overall, "Portal 2" is a great game. It holds on to some of the hype and amusement from the original game, but adds new characters and better graphics. Matching the player with companions from the start allows the player to further explore the history and operations of Aperture Science, as well as serve as a useful guide in scenarios where time is short. Even with a short gameplay time, this game still allows for ample enjoyment.